I glanced through LinkedIn’s “The 25 fastest-growing roles in the U.S.” and I saw that “Chief growth officer” made the #1 cut. That is correct, and factual, because in nearly all the portfolios in Tekedia Capital, one job that is always a constant is a growth-related job. According to LinkedIn, “Chief growth officers develop and execute an organization’s strategies for driving revenue, expanding market presence and ensuring sustainable growth.”
Sure, not everyone can be a “Chief Growth Officer”, but if you have the skills to enable and accelerate growth, finding jobs will not be hard. It is one role every company likes to fill with the very best.
Of course, in Nigeria, we have made “growth and marketing related jobs” to be thankless ones. It is common to hear people say “I don’t want sales or marketing jobs”. Unfortunately, the mission of firms after everything goes through growth and sales, and when you do not like them, it is unlikely you can grow to the top, because 90% of the time, the CEOs of companies are those who bring growth in firms.
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Sure, I know that some bank marketing jobs are thankless. Yet, do not disqualify yourself from one of the most critical roles in business by conditioning your mind that it cannot work. The key is rethinking what sales and business growth is about, and connecting the dots that without business growth, the purpose of any company will fade.
In that mindset, you can see how to contribute instead of saying “I do not want a bank/startup/etc marketing job” when that is the only thing always available.
What Chief Growth Officers do: Chief growth officers develop and execute an organization’s strategies for driving revenue, expanding market presence and ensuring sustainable growth.
| Most common skills: Growth Strategies, Strategic Partnerships, Business Development | Most common industries: Technology and Internet, IT Services and IT Consulting, Advertising Services | Where the most jobs are: Washington, D.C.-Baltimore, New York City, Dallas | Current gender distribution: 27% female; 73% male | Median years of prior experience: 4.2-6.5 | Top roles transitioned from: Vice President of Sales, Chief Operating Officer, Vice President of Business Development | Flexible work availability: 33.6% remote; 25.0% hybrid
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Selling skill is a must have for everyone who really wants to get to the top, irrespective of your background or preferences. Every company must still be defined by revenues and profits, and if you are not making sales and growing, everything else will fade.
Whether you are working for someone or yourself, you must still learn how to sell, it’s where the money comes from.